There is something distasteful about discussing Right and Left in connection with the Church. Harvard Catholics live in a hotbed of liberalism whose myriad "accidents and anarchies"greatly affect dialogue within church walls as well as without. But those Catholics who think of their faith in mere political terms do themselves little good.

The parish of St. Paul is a vibrant community with much to be proud of. The church itself is in need of a little refurbishing (those kneelers, especially, are killers: they always make me think of St. Thomas More's belief that prayerful communion with the Almighty is perfected by physical pain), but its beautiful architecture superbly compliments the Sacrifice of the Mass. The choirs, especially the Boys Choir, are angelic. The various ministries and the Catholic Student Association (CSA) are peopled with individuals who are not only professional but truly dedicated to their work and make Saint Paul a wonderful parish to belong to. And the priests, all of them highly educated and talented, add to the true dynamism of Harvard's Catholic community.

In many ways, however, this community doesn't live up to Chesterton's ideal, especially when dealing blows right and left. In matters of social justice - international strife, poverty, abortion, etc. - the priests and many parishioners of St. Paul, including the great majority in the CSA, are blown about by the prevailing left-wing Cambridge winds. 

The most recent instance of this was the CSA co-sponsored October 11 vigil which commemorated the "victims" of Christopher Columbus (who, by discovering America, did more to spread the Roman faith than anyone since Paul of Tarsus) followed by a talk at the Catholic Student Center about the amalgamation of Native American and Catholic spirituality. Here as elsewhere, St. Paul's doesn't challenge the liberal status quo, but rather tends to embrace its "accidents and anarchies"with enthusiasm. This situation is unfortunate: it alienates conservative Catholics from their brethren and encourages many parishioners to attach their minds and hearts to notions and political policies which do not entirely reflect the wisdom of the Church.

Tacked up on a message board in the Catholic Student Center is a copy of the SOA Watch Newsletter. Led by Catholic priest Father Roy Bourgeois, SOA Watch works to shut down the U.S. Army's School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. During the Cold War, the School of the Americas trained many Latin Americans who went on to fight as guerrillas against Communist rule in their homelands, much of that rule financed and equipped by the Soviets. As no harvest is ever without its bad apples, some of those guerrillas naturally committed atrocities during their violent careers. In November SOA Watch is holding a protest in Georgia, and some in the CSA plan to hold an event to demonstrate solidarity.

But as Father Roy describes it, the effort against the School of the Americas is rooted in liberation theology - a condemned heresy. SOA Watch opposes the school because it helped prevent communist insurgencies throughout the region. Contrary to the claims of its opponents, the School of the Americas is a training academy not unlike West Point. Its cadets are trained in human rights, and the school's mission is to engage and encourage democracy in Latin America. Opposition to the school is not inherently "Catholic"- it's a political position, Catholic only in the sense that individuals are compelled to it by their consciences and by hasty, over-simplified interpretations of Rome's social philosophy.

Support for SOA Watch is typical of the mainstream social-justice attitude at St. Paul. Leftist movements around the globe are seen in a neutral or even favorable light by many priests and parishioners. To them the true international evils are American imperialism and deforestation in the tropics. For instance, a recent issue of Columban Mission which was lying conspicuously atop the counter in the Catholic Student Center lobby contains an article entitled "The Earth Rosary," which features a Phillipine missionary named Father Vincent Busch who has composed new meditations which integrate anti-deforestation politics with the mysteries of the Rosary. Here's what he has to say about the sorrowful crowning of Jesus Christ with thorns: "The soldiers stripped Jesus. Dressed in fancy words like 'progress and development,' money-serving policies and politics have stripped Mindanao's forests, seas and farms and have poisoned its air, water, soil, and people.... After abusing and mocking Jesus, the soldiers led him to be crucified."

Admittedly, this passage has little to do with the average Harvard Catholic. But in many ways it represents general thinking. Simplistic left-wing economic theories lead many at St. Paul's to allow their hearts to overcome their reason. On the surface it may seem compassionate and "Catholic"to fight militant anti-Communists and to halt apparently harmful economic development in third-world countries. But in the end such a course of action only furthers a great evil and deprives others of the economic liberty and prosperity we are free to enjoy.

Leftist economic theories affect the way St. Paul priests speak about domestic affairs as well. A few Sundays ago one of the fathers gave examples of men who shirk their duty in the eyes of God. "The politician who votes to cut welfare payments"was the bad-boy du jour. Indeed, it's almost as if it's a sin at St. Paul's to disagree with the Democratic Party's economic agenda. This should not be the case: Conservative economic principles are valid, they have proved to raise the standard of living of the poor as well as the rich, and they should not be condemned from the pulpit. 

Condemnation should not be abused for mere political posturing - it should be reserved for true evils. According to Rome, abortion is just such an evil, yet it is not condemned by the Church here at Harvard. It is not treated by the priests of St. Paul with any sort of passion, let alone the kind of ardor they give to welfare and international strife. In my two years at Harvard I've heard abortion mentioned twice at Mass - and only in passing. Some of the local priests have been asked by parishioners to address the issue in their sermons, but they refuse to do so. Why is this the case? Certainly if it's all right to castigate conservative Republicans at Mass it's all right to give a nudge or two to those parishioners whose views on abortion directly conflict with the teachings of the Magisterium. 

While issues of economics and foreign affairs are handled at Saint Paul's Church with fiery zeal, issues like abortion, euthanasia, and sexual morality are put on the back burner. It's almost as if the priests and parish leaders are ashamed of the Church's position on such matters. This is unfortunate, if only for the simple reason that within the Harvard community - which consists of so many young, educated, economically advantaged men and women - these back-burner issues are of much greater spiritual significance. It's hardly necessary to tell this volunteerist, compassionate community to care about the poor and to fight injustice around the world. But something must be done about its unhealthy attitudes concerning both the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of marriage. Saint Paul's is long overdue in reordering its priorities.

It's sad that left-wing politics play such a prominent role in the Church here at Harvard. But as angry as many conservative Catholics become when they see and hear things in their parish they dislike, they should remember with humility that they belong to a church community in which all are brothers and sisters in faith - most of whose intentions are good and whose errors can be attributed to that same human imperfection which afflicts all. 

Conservatives should be critical of their parish if they sense misjudgment and wrongdoing, but they should do so constructively, lovingly, and committed above all to a faith which informs their politics and not vice versa. They should express their right anger while working to change for the better. Conservative Catholics should try to get more involved in their parishes and in groups like the CSA, and they should educate their fellow Catholics about where they're coming from and why they should be listened to.

Only then can Chesterton's ideal of a Church which is "apart from the accidents and anarchies of the age" be realized at Harvard in the way the Roman Church has, throughout its two-thousand years, acted in totality.